


Sleep Time Routine

by Madquinn13



Category: Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 04:16:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13379973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madquinn13/pseuds/Madquinn13
Summary: It becomes very apparent that when it comes time for tiny Lady Lara to sleep it's her way or the highway. Lara likes her routines.





	Sleep Time Routine

**Author's Note:**

> I just couldn't help thinking about something like this during the blood ties DLC and frankly I would love to see Lara with her mother in a flashback or something in the next game since it seems like it might follow her getting revenge for her father's death.

Richard Croft was in his study researching for his next dig when his peaceful silence was interrupted by the wailing toddler in the library. He got up and wanted to see why his daughter was crying and more important why Nanny hadn’t calmed her down yet.

He opened the door leading onto the second story of the library, leaning over the rails to see Lara clutching her stuffed dino to her chest crying while curled into the corner of the window seat behind the desk. Nanny was arms length away dodging the books Lara was throwing at her whenever she moved to pick the child up. 

“What is going on here?” Richard had to ask taking in the scene before him. 

“Miss Lara is acting out because she does not wish to take her nap.” Nanny explained to Lord Croft while giving Lara a stern look. 

“Lara listen to Nanny and let her put you in your bed for your nap.” Richard used his own stern voice only Lara just answered by throwing a book in his direction too. 

“Usually her Ladyship puts her down and lies down with her but she is preparing for the gallery opening so she asked not to be disturbed.” Nanny explained in better detail to Richard. 

“And having Lara scream constantly is not a disturbance? I did not come out of my study, halting my own work to see why are currently unable to do your job?” All he kept hearing in times like this was when Amelia told him after they discovered they were expecting their first child, that they could both work from home, that she only wanted a nanny for when they were working and not so as to pass off the responsibility of raising their child. But now he was reminded why his own childhood was limited to the nursery or outside on the grounds never in his father’s library or free range of the house like Lara had. Many times she would just stroll on in to his study having escaped Nanny’s watch. He could only imagine how much trouble she would get into in a few more years. 

“I am sorry my Lordship but Lara can be a very difficult child when she wants to be.” 

“She is three. When she doesn’t wish to do something you pick her up and force her to do it.” Richard sighed. “Lara are you going to behave or are you going to force me to come down and carry you to bed myself?” When Lara didn’t answer Richard pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine but there will be severe consequences for this behavior.”  

When he was finally on the same level as his daughter and he told her once again to listen to Nanny, Lara just looked up at him, tears just streaming down her face. 

“No! I wan Mummy!” She wailed knocking down a small stack of books that were laid on the seat next to her. 

“Mummy is working Lara. She’s very busy painting. So you’ll let Nanny take you to bed because you clearly need your nap.” 

“No!” 

Richard was about to answer when he heard someone enter the library. 

“What’s wrong with my little girl?” Roth asked walking straight passed Nanny and Richard, Lara having lost her throwing ammo. 

“Amelia is getting ready for her gallery show and Lara seems to think that is not a suitable reason for her mother to miss putting her down for her nap.” Richard explained simply. 

“That’s terrible. She’s clearly only acting out because she’s tired.” Roth explained. He had some experience with children but he has spent enough time with Lara to know that unless she was feeling rather ignored by her parents she was the sweetest child. He knew Richard was trying to research for their next expedition, so he thought he would do his part. “Lara how about instead of Mummy tucking you in I do it? Can Uncle Roth tuck you in? I’ll even read whatever story you want and I happen to do some pretty good voices.” He held out his arms. Lara seemed deep in thought as she considered her options before just nodding weakly rubbing her eyes with her tiny balled fists the stuffed green dino hanging limping in her grip. Roth scooped her up and started to rub her back. “Say see you after nap time to Daddy and Nanny.” 

“Thank you Roth.” Richard smiled gratefully at his friend, sometimes like now, it felt more like Roth was a third parent to Lara than his business partner. 

“Any excuse to spend more time with my favorite little girl.” Roth grinned before leaving the room already to decide what story he would be reading from and having Lara shoot down every suggestion.

Richard was back to work when Roth came in looking more depressed than he had seen him before. 

“Lara won’t go to sleep. She won’t let me read any of the stories because I’m doing the voices wrong. I don’t know how she just didn’t give out from exhaustion yet Richard. Maybe we should just tell Amelia, she usually lies down with Lara for what ten minutes before she falls asleep? At this rate Lara will be up all night by the time we finally get her to sleep for a nap.”

“No. Lara needs to let someone else put her down for a nap for when Amelia is in New York or away on some other trip. Plus how she will fare in school if she needs her mother to put her to bed every night?” 

“Maybe she could not attend a boarding school.”

“Amelia does so much to support my career I will not do anything to hinder her own.” Richard explained. 

“Fine, we men folk can handle one toddler.” Roth hoped he didn’t just doomed them all. 

Amelia stared at the finished painting on the stand before her. She thought it turned out perfectly. She started to stretch before she turned off the loud stereo which helped her block out the outside world and focus only on her work. Only when she turned off the music she heard crying. Rushing out of her studio she followed the cries to Lara’s bedroom where the toddler was sitting up in bed crying so hard she was physically making herself sick as evidenced by the waste basket next to the bed and the stains on her top. 

“What happened?” She would have sworn from the crying Lara was doing she had broken a bone. 

“Mummy!” Lara stopped crying immediately and held her arms out for her mother. 

“Lara wouldn’t have a nap unless you put her down. Roth and I were trying not to disrupt you.”

“If it involves Lara, it isn’t bothering. Honestly Richard nothing is more important than Lara.” She had Lara on her hip and she walked over to get her a new shirt. “After your nap darling why don’t you come in with Mummy and help me paint?” Amelia changed Lara’s top and shooed the men out of the room as she laid down with Lara, the large book of Winnie the Pooh stories in her hands. Lara cuddled into her mother’s side. “Now what has that silly ol’ bear gotten up to this time?” 

After Lara had fallen asleep Amelia decided she should talk to Nanny and explain that if Lara was getting that upset to just come get Amelia no matter what since it was clear that Roth and Richard, no matter how well intentioned they were, were utterly useless. 

She tucked Lara in and kissed her forehead making sure that Lara was sound asleep before she quietly crept out of the room. 

She found Nanny waiting in the hallway just outside. As soon as the woman went to open her mouth Amelia just held up a hand. 

“It’s alright, I appreciate you trying to handle it on your own but anytime Lara is getting that upset, just come get me, I don’t care what I am doing.” 

“Yes my Lady.” Nanny gave her a tight small smile. 

“When she wakes bring her to my studio, she’s going to spending the rest of the day with me.” Amelia left Nanny to her post of looking over Lara and went instead to Richard’s office where he and Roth were talking over a map. “Just when were you two planning on telling me that Lara was so upset she was actually making herself sick?” 

“We weren’t.” Richard stated simply. “You were working. I didn’t want to make you think that you could not focus on your career for a day.” 

“So instead you thought it was best for our daughter to suffer? Richard, my career will never be the most important thing I do in a day. I mean I am a mother and wife above all else Richard.” 

“You’re right Amelia. I am sorry.”

“Tonight, why don’t you help me put her to bed, so if I cannot put her to bed she’ll be use to you putting her down?”

“But I have work to do.” Richard answered simply not understanding the look his friend and his wife were giving him. “Alright, if I have time I’ll put Lara to bed with you.”

“Richard.” 

“I will make time to put Lara to bed with you tonight.” 

“I love you Richard, but do not think for one minute I will not file for divorce if you don’t seem to care about our daughter. I know you love her, but please try and work on showing it to her.” 

“I will.” He nodded. 

“I’ll keep him in line Amelia.” Roth promised. “What time is her bedtime? I’ll set an alarm to make sure we don’t work past it.”

“Richard, when is Lara’s bedtime?” Amelia asked with a small smirk on her face. 

“Six?” He asked but decided to keep talking as Amelia looked less and less pleased. “Seven? Eight? Nine?”

“Eight. But like tonight if she’s late for her nap usually I give her an extra half hour to wear herself out.” Amelia explained. “Nanny knows all this information as well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Winston knew. He seems to know everything that happens in this house.” 

“So eight thirty tonight we’ll put Lara to bed.” 

“It’s a plan.”

When Lara did wake an hour later she was more than happy to spend the time in her Mummy’s studio, she had her own easel at her own height, and her own brushes and paint set. 

“Mummy, how did you do the clouds?” Lara asked looking at her mother’s own painting of a city skyline. 

“Like this sweetie.” Amelia smiled, doing one cloud on Lara’s canvas. “Now you try.” Richard would read to Lara from the exciting parts of his research. He wanted Lara to follow in his footsteps, so he was trying to ingrain a love for it in her already, but Amelia figured if he can try and make Lara an academic, than she can try and turn their little girl into a painter. So far she seemed to be doing a better job than Richard. Lara would rather spend more time drawing, painting and coloring than being read those books by anyone but Richard. 

She watched as Lara made a beautiful cloud, not as perfect as Amelia’s but very good for a three year old. 

“That’s great darling see what you can do.” Amelia grinned at the proud smile on Lara’s face. It was just like when she would show Lara how to play the piano. “Do you think you could sit still long enough yet for Mummy to paint you?” 

Lara seemed to have stopped to think about it. “How long?”

“An entire day.” 

Again Lara stopped to think it over. “No thanks Mummy.” Lara answered politely with a smile. 

“Alright sweetie, we’ll try it when you’re a bit older.” Amelia smiled down at Lara. “What do you think of Mummy’s painting?” She asked. 

“It’s pretty Mummy, but why are there big squares?” 

“It’s abstract.” 

“Oh.”

“Do you know what that word means?”

“Nope.” Lara grinned, she didn’t seem to care. 

“It means that the painting isn’t just what it looks like.” 

“Okay Mummy. It’s pretty. I like the one of Daddy.” 

“I think that one might be my favorite.” Amelia watched Lara try to hide a yawn and end up getting paint on her face. She glanced over at the clock on the wall. “It’s close to bedtime sweetie, how about a nice hot bath before bed? Get the paint off?” 

“Okay.” Lara nodded looking back at her painting. “I’m done though.” 

“It’s okay, I rarely have a painting finished before bed.I’m going to spend a lot of tomorrow painting as well, if you want you can come back and finish working on your painting.” Amelia explained. 

“Okay.” Lara set her paint brush down lifting her arms up for her mother to pick her up. 

“Now are we going to use bubbles?” Amelia had to ask as she carried Lara off to the bath. 

With bathtime finished and Lara in her pajamas Amelia checked her watch waiting to see if Richard would actually show up. 

It was eight thirty one when Richard rushed in. 

“Sorry. We didn’t time the alarm to include the walk.” He sounded a bit breathless as if he ran from one side of the house to the other. “Now, what is the bedtime routine?” 

“Lara, Daddy is going to put you to bed some nights alone, just as I’ll still put you to bed, and some nights like tonight, we’ll both do it okay?”

“Okay.” She accepted that easily enough. 

Amelia was laid down the left side of the queen size bed that was decorated in a pale purple duvet. “Lie down Richard.” Amelia didn’t pay any mind to Lara’s hand that was playing with her hair as she leaned close to the toddler and read from the book. Amelia had explained the voices of each character to Richard. 

“What book are we going to read after we finish Winnie?” He asked hoping she would pick something a bit more challenging. 

“But we always read Winnie for bed.” Lara explained looking confused. 

“Yes but we’ll come to the end of the book one night.” 

“But we read Winnie for bed Daddy.” Lara stressed her lip trembling slightly. 

“That’s right sweetie, after we read all 368 pages, we’ll just start on page one again.” Amelia gave Richard a pointed look. “Nothing is going to disrupt your bedtime routine.”

After twenty pages Lara was asleep and Amelia looked over to find her husband also dozing. Deciding to leave him be she turned off the side table lamp and place the book back in it’s spot on the bookshelf before heading back to her studio to clean off the brushes she and Lara had used before they were ruined. She changed into her own sleepwear returning to her daughter’s bed and her sleeping husband. 

She hoped Lara remembered nights like this, when she slept between her parents feeling their love for her. 


End file.
